Castrol Honda boss Neil Tuxworth has admitted that he's doing all he can to have Neil Hodgson on one of his factory Honda SP-1 machines next year – with at least one of the teams current line-up of
Colin Edwards and Taddy Okada likely to lose their seat for 2002.
Honda had approached Hodgson, the reigning British Superbike Champion, at the end of last season as they sought a replacement for Aaron Slight, but the nod was eventually given to 500cc
MotoGP star Okada, after the Honda veteran left the works Repsol squad to make way for countryman Tohru Ukawa.
However, Okada is undoubtedly a two-stroke ace, and has struggled in World Superbikes this year – prompting rumours that he will lose his ride with the team at the end of the season.
Hodgson, by contrast, is on the crest of a wave at the moment, having been Ben Bostrom's only real challenger in the past few races, even beating the works Ducati star on the track in the restarted race one at
Brands Hatch last Sunday.
“Of course we are interested in Neil joining the team – anyone who says they aren't would be stupid,” Castrol Honda team boss Tuxworth told
Motor Cycle News. “He is one of the fastest and most consistent riders out there at the moment.”
“We'll know what way the team will be going within a week or so and will be able to make an announcement then,” Tuxworth added.
Nevertheless, despite the might of HRC chasing him, Hodgson has a two-year contract with his current GSE Ducati team - whom he graduated from BSB's with –and they have an option on the Englishman for 2002, and are sure to want to keep him.
Meanwhile, rumours that reigning World Superbike Champion Colin Edwards will move to MotoGP next year, to ride Honda's new four stroke, is far from certain with the “Texan Tornado” himself telling
MCN: “I love my life in WSB. There has been a lot of talk about changes, but I don't know that I want to change….”
